Invasive 'jumping worm' makes first appearance in Nova Scotia; experts concerned there could be more

An invasive worm species has been found in Nova Scotia for the first time and experts are concerned there could be more.

The "jumping worm" gets its name from its aggressive squirming and is known to consume organic matter in soil, making it difficult for plants to stay rooted.

“Jumping worms tend to thrash around a lot when you pick them up; it’s quite different from the normal movement of the worm,” says Erin Cameron, an associate professor of environmental science at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

The compromised soil from the worms also creates nutrient deficiencies that affect native amphibians, bacteria and fungi.

“They really consume organic matter in soil and cause a lot of mixing of the soil. You end up with soil that looks like coffee grounds,” says Cameron.

For the first time, the invasive species has been found in Nova Scotia in the soil of a plant bought in January by Stephen Paterson.

“It was poking its head out of the corner of the drainage hole," says Paterson. "I study earth worms, so naturally I was curious to dig it out and see if I could identify the species."

Paterson, who made the discovery last month, ended up pulling about 100 juvenile jumping worms from the plant's dirt.

Coincidentally, Paterson studies jumping worms, and knew what he was dealing with.

“It is a little serendipitous that the one report comes from somebody who is an expert in this organism,” says Kristen Noel of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council.

“That makes us think that there are likely other worms that may have been found that, just simply, the person that found them didn't know what they were, didn't know that they were an issue and didn't know what to do with them."

Adult jumping worms have a band that goes completely around their body, whereas the more common European earthworms have a band that just goes around the top and sides.

To date, the invasive jumping worms have been reported in one location in New Brunswick and around Ontario.

If their spread in Nova Scotia isn’t stopped, experts say there's no known way to get rid of them once they're established.

Anyone who thinks they've found a jumping worm is asked to try and collect the specimen and freeze it in a Ziploc bag, before contacting the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council.